Dave Reardon

After burying his father as a young kid and being raised by a single mum without a dollar to spare, Australian author and motivational speaker Dave Reardon knows what it's like for teenagers who feels life has stacked the deck against them.

But he has also discovered that determination and tenacity can win out in the end.

Dave graduated university at the top of his class and worked his way up to become a senior political journalist in three of the nation's biggest newspapers. Despite the kudos and money associated with a successful media career, Dave found he increasingly wanted to do more to help teenagers struggling with bitterness and fear - kids just like he had been.

So after a decade in journalism, Dave moved into full-time youth work and within a year was appointed to head up one of Australia's largest teenage charities, YouthAlive, connecting with 100,000 students each year.

Dave is now a sought-after speaker throughout Australia, Asia and the United States and has written four books on youth issues and leadership. Dave's message to young people is that they can be so much bigger than the 'sum of their past'. No matter what life throws at them, they can achieve great things if they have a grit that doesn't quit.